Engine problems strike Sordo

Dani Sordo, the winner of the opening superspecial stage in Sweden last night, is battling engine problems - which have almost certainly cost him the chance of a good result.

Having run comfortably in the top five, the Spaniard could only manage 27th fastest on the Finnskogen 2 stage and is now down to 19th overall. The drivers behind him reported seeing him stopped with the bonnet open and some fluid under the car.

When he got to the end of the stage he said that he was at a loss to understand what the problem was with his MINI John Cooper Works WRC - but that he feared he might not be able to continue in the event after a promising start.

He was not the only one with problems on the stage: Jari Ketomaa, in a Ford Fiesta WRC, was also struggling to finish and has dropped to 24th, having stopped very close to Sordo near the end of the stage following an excursion into the scenery.